wilkinsonquints: October 2012

After counting down for 1854 days, the BIG DAY finally arrived....watch out world, the quints are in KINDERGARTEN!!!

It is so hard to believe that my babies are in school! They were SO excited! We used a large paper chain to count down the days (not for the entire 1854 days...just the last 100 or so...) and they loved everything that brought them one step closer to school---buying school supplies, picking out backpacks, trying on new school clothes, Kinder camp, meeting the teachers.

For the past couple of years, I have debated about how (or even if) I should split the kids into Kindergarten classes. I have talked to several mothers of multiples who have done it different ways and in the end, Jayson and I decided to split the kids three ways. We wanted to give them as much independence as possible without having five different classes/teachers/homework to keep track of. With that in mind, we put Kassidy and Rustin together, Kaydence and Ryder together and Kyndall by herself.

We were so lucky to get the three most fabulous Kindergarten teachers the elementary school had to offer :-) So far the split is working great and all the kids are absolutely loving school!

Riley started his second year of middle school. He turned 12 this summer and it is so hard to believe that only nine months, I will have a TEENAGER in the house! I am already getting scared!

Kaiya is loving her 4th grade teacher and has been signing up for every extra curricular activity she possibly can.

Of course, I had to take a plethora of pictures of the momentous occasion!

Riley--7th Grade

Kaiya--4th Grade

Kassidy--Kindergarten

Kaydence--Kindergarten

Rustin--Kindergarten

Kyndall--Kindergarten

Ryder--Kindergarten

Kaiya and Riley

By the school sign: Kyndall, Ryder, Rustin, Kassidy, Kaiya and Kaydence

On their way! Ryder, Rustin, Kaiya, Kaydence, Kassidy and Kyndall

One more picture in front of the school

The kids with Principal Villalpando

Kindergarten, here we come!!

Kassidy

Kaydence

Rustin

Kyndall

Ryder

As for me, I am still trying to find all that extra time I am supposed to have now that the kids are in school all day! For the past five years, I have put so many things off, thinking "I'll do that when the quints go to Kindergarten", so I was excited to get started on my loooong to-do list. However, I definitely over-estimated the amount of extra time I would have (go ahead, I know you are dying to say "I told you so"). I was a little (ok a lot) over-zealous and I agreed to all kinds of things---room mom, swim team board member, three part-time jobs, teaching extra classes and hosting book club to name a few. So, instead of leisurely working my way through my mega to-do list, I have been frantically working on whatever project/assignment has the nearest deadline. But, I think I am finally getting a better handle on things....and I can't deny that I LOVE having a few QUIET hours during the day---shopping ALONE, eating a couple of meals without constantly getting something for somebody, going the bathroom without someone asking me questions on the other side of the door, putting things away and having them stay there (at least until the kids get home from school!). It may not be quite the nirvana I imagined, but it is still pretty great!